NNT Pokémon Battles
by Galfridus
Summary: In the dead of night, Meliodas and Zeldris test out their new pokémon. One pokémon each, no substitutions. Will power or friendship win out?
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first and probably last crossover. It was a bit of a distraction while I write my other fics and no doubt it misses the mark with fans of both shows - sorry! It was so fun to write so forgive my self-indulgence._

 _The setting for the fight is the demon realm in Nanatsu no Taizai. Zeldris' Umbreon is an alternative evolution of Serena's eevee in the XY anime and the move sets described for both the Umbreon and Gyarados are consistent with the XY version of the game._

In the hush of the night, the demon realm rested, not even a breeze disturbing the quiet peace which had descended over the land. Everyone was in their beds, with only two sleepy guards lazily watching the palace gates, yawning their heads off as they half-heartedly tried to fulfil their duties. But there was no need for vigilance, no risk of invasion. The goddess clan were celebrating the supreme deity's creation and even they would not try any treachery on this night for they were too busy partying in the celestial realm. The whole land and its people felt the benefit of the peace, delighted that for just one night they could all sleep soundly without fear of attack.

Well, almost everyone. Unseen by the guards, two small, lithe figures whipped silently over the castle walls, running swiftly across the grass towards the training grounds, the blades of grass barely bending with the slight pressure of their feet. They were so fast as they sprinted with joy, their bodies picked out in the sliver light of the moon. The demon princes could hardly risk the fight they had planned in the palace itself, their father would throw a fit at the damage they'd cause.

Skirting round the straight rows of the training grounds where swordplay was mastered, the two boys headed towards the circular platform to the right, jumping with ease over the fence which separated the fighting ring from the rows of seats for spectators. Laughing quietly, both reached the centre of the ring, fist-bumping each other before they headed for opposite ends where the trainers would stand. They had been looking forward to this fight for a while and they were going to enjoy it.

Zeldris was confident, his dark eyes flashing with mischief. This was the first time he was going to show his brother what Umbreon could do. He hadn't even let on that his Eevee had evolved yet, let alone the power it had accumulated over the past months. He and Umbreon had trained with determination and he was sure now that she could triumph over anything Meliodas could throw at him. That TM he had found while spying on the fairy king's forest would seal the deal. It was a formidable move, perfectly suited to his dark-powered partner and Umbreon had relished the use of it.

Meliodas smiled. Zeldris was in for a shock. He hadn't even told his youngest brother about the Magicarp he had caught. Why would he? It was such a useless pokémon. But he had not been deterred. When he had caught the flapping gold excuse for a familiar while fishing with Estarossa he had seen its potential straight away. He had made Estarossa battle with him again and again, putting Magicarp into the ring for one move before pulling it out so that his Charizard or Dragonite could take over. And little by little, with the experience of these fights by proxy, the fish had grown stronger until it had finally evolved. So now, after all those months of frustrating effort, he had a shiny Gyarados, a beautiful red and white monster that could annihilate villages. He had tested it out the other day, pleased with the power it had accumulated. The Kingdom of Coventry would never be the same again.

"Okay, the rules are we use one pokémon only, no substitutions. No items, no potions. We fight until one of us can fight no more," Meliodas commanded, his black eyes showing the arrogance of his power. He would not lose, not to anyone and definitely not to his youngest brother, the very weakest of his father's three children.

"Fine with me," Zeldris purred, his face pulled into a smirk. Meliodas was in for a surprise. This would teach his brother not to underestimate him.

Both boys pulled red and white pokéballs from their belts, holding them up so the other could see.

"Gyarados, I choose you!" Meliodas cried and a red mist rose as the pokéball opened, the enormous white-whiskered monolith rising from the depths. Zeldris stared. Since when did Meliodas have this monster to call on?

Zeldris wondered briefly if he should abandon his plans and pick his Vileplume instead. Although it looked like a long, writhing dragon, Gyarados was a water and flying type pokémon and it was vulnerable to grass moves. His Vileplume had those in spades as well as the type advantage and Zeldris knew he should set his pride aside and use it instead. But no. He had promised Umbreon she would have this fight and he would not let her down. What mattered more, beating his brother or keeping a promise to a friend?

And Umbreon was a friend, not just a partner. He had not even caught the Eevee he had found wandering lost in the demon realm, trembling with nerves, unable to eat or sleep with the terror. He had spoken softly to it, coaxing it out of its hiding place, stroking its soft fur gently as it sidled up closer. It had nuzzled into his lap and given way to its exhaustion as Zeldris watched it, his heart full of tenderness as its chest rose and fell in its sleep. Female Eevees were rare, a prize worth keeping for breeding and he had determined to look after it for this purpose.

But somewhere along the way he had lost his heart to the timid little thing. She was so sweet, always pulling the covers off him in the morning to help him wake up and cuddling up to him on freezing cold nights. One day, she had pushed an empty pokéball to his feet and looked at him expectantly, and Zeldris knew then that he could not let her go. She had caught _him_ and he took her everywhere, not fighting with her just enjoying the companionship.

Then one morning they had been walking through the forest up in Britannia and a swarm of Beedrill had attacked without warning. Before Zeldris could reach for his Noivern to see off the pests, Eevee had initiated an attack, shooting the stars of swift into the mass of striped insects. They had scattered, fleeing from his timid Eevee and he had seen the glint of enjoyment in her soft brown eyes. She wanted to fight, so he had trained her in secret. Only his girlfriend Gelda knew of his efforts, letting Eevee fight her Braixen to help her power grow. And one night, after knocking the fire fox out for the first time, Eevee had leapt at Zeldris in her elation, her form shimmering silver as she grew and changed. In her supreme happiness, Eevee had evolved and grown into the perfect, neat Umbreon he loved so much. A pokémon of the night and the moon, her red eyes shinning with confidence and loyalty, the yellow circles on her dark fur so reminiscent of the symbol of his clan. She was one of only two things in the world who truly cared for him and he would not let her down. Not now. Not ever.

"Umbreon, I choose you!" Zeldris shouted and the small, black animal pounced out of the ball and into the ring, landing expertly on her feet as she stared at her opponent. She was no longer frightened. Like Zeldris she feared nothing, sure of her worth. Her master loved her and that was enough.

Meliodas laughed. He was surprised for sure, amazed that the pathetic Eevee which followed Zeldris around like a lost sheep had found the strength to evolve. Well, his brother was nothing if not persistent. But an Umbreon, while more powerful than a timid Eevee, would be a piece of cake to take out. Its attack stats were useless compared to the Gyarados he wielded. Zeldris didn't stand a chance.

"Twister," Meliodas sang with a sneer and immediately the Gyarados opened its mouth, a whirlwind shooting from it straight towards umbreon. Caught off guard, the small animal was pulled into the miniature tornado, squirming fitfully as she tried to find her feet.

"No!" Zeldris screamed. "Keep it together!" and Umbreon looked at him with understanding, jumping out of the wind to land on the ground. Zeldris examined her, she had taken some damage but she would be fine. Her ability, inner focus, had protected her from the more sinister effects of the attack and she had not flinched. She was ready to go.

"Come on Umbreon, use Pursuit!" Zeldris called and the dark-haired beauty rose on her haunches, flicking her power outwards with her claws. Waves of purple flew over the ground towards Gyarados, hitting it squarely in the eyes before it could dodge. The beast writhed, but held its ground as the attack dissipated, barely looking as if it had broken a sweat.

Meliodas sneered, his mouth curving cruelly. "Enough of this. Use Dragon Dance," he snarled menacingly. Instantly, Gyarados started pulling itself up, twisting and spinning in a choreographed frenzy and Zeldris could feel its power crackling across the ring. He knew it was drawing energy to itself, greatly increasing its speed and strength for attack.

"Dark Pulse," he murmured quietly so only Umbreon could hear and swiftly she sent out the dark circles of the attack. Gyarados had increased its speed but not by enough. It was unwieldy and could not dodge despite Meliodas' order, and the attack landed squarely into its rose red body. It shuddered as the Dark Pulse burst over it, throbbing with a menacing black energy. Dark Pulse was a powerful move and Gyarados would definitely have taken some damage this time.

"Hyper Beam!" Meliodas screamed, "Get it now!"

"Dodge it!" Zeldris shouted in warning. If that attack hit Umbreon she would be badly hurt, it was an extremely powerful move. Just like Meliodas to stock up with that. Fortunately, the attack was not hard to evade. As the white hot rod of power shot through the air, Umbreon neatly side-stepped it, moving with unhurried grace to stand a few inches away. Gyarados spun its head trying to catch her with the beam, but she hopped about like a bunny, expertly avoiding it each time.

"Use Dark Pulse again," Zeldris cooed and Umbreon obediently sent out her power, the glowing circles gliding swiftly over the ground. They shimmered as they hit Gyarados and Meliodas hissed with rage as his pokémon faltered, falling back slightly with a fierce snarl.

"Had enough?" Zeldris called, his face alight with enjoyment. It was a rare sight to see his brother so agitated.

"Hardly," Meliodas shot back. He was furious. How could this little thing possibly be winning at this stage of the match? His Gyarados was an unassailable power house, it should be beating this Umbreon into the ground.

"Hydro Pump!" Meliodas screamed and immediately a water cannon of fury shot from Gyarados' mouth onto Zeldris' Umbreon. The pokémon fell to the ground with the force of the blast, her legs twitching pitifully as the water washed over her. Meliodas grinned, his face contorted with a wicked triumph as Zeldris knelt down before his partner, smoothing her fur as he stroked her gently, the spikes of his black hair blending into her dark fur. She was weak, badly hurt, but hanging on for the fight.

"Moonlight," Zeldris murmured softly and the silver orb in the sky was pulled down to the earth to hang over Umbreon as she lay prone on the ground. It shone fiercely, its rays beaming brightly and Umbreon's yellow rings of fur started to glow. She shook herself, standing up as the moon's energy flowed through her veins, partially restoring her drained health.

Meliodas watched with interest. Moonlight, a fairy move. Not one he would have expected his brother to bother with, but it evidently had its uses. He wondered how much health the move had restored. The Umbreon still looked a lot less sprightly than it had before the attack. Even with its restorative power it would surely not take much more to finish it off.

"Hyper Beam!" Meliodas commanded, the sound ringing across the battle field and Zeldris looked up, horrified, as the white power shot once again towards Umbreon.

"Dodge it, now!" he cried, panic evident in his tremulous voice. Umbreon could not take another hit, particularly not from this move. At the last second, Umbreon shot up into the air out of the way of the oncoming attack. She twisted and ran towards Gyarados as she returned to the ground, determination showing in the way her fur bristled and Zeldris had never felt so proud. She was not giving up, and neither would he.

"Last Resort!" Zeldris yelled over the roar of Meliodas' Gyarados as Umbreon continued her charge. She pulled up right in front of the red beast, staring at it coldly before unleashing her power. The ground shook and trembled as the Last Resort hit and the Gyarados shrieked with pain as it fell to the ground. Umbreon trotted back to Zeldris, her red eyes alive with her triumph and he saw her elation in the way she walked.

Meliodas peered at his pokémon and was relieved to see it was not over yet. Gyarados was powerful but its defence was relatively low. It had taken damage from Last Resort but it was still in the game. Meliodas reproached himself inwardly. Umbreons evolved from Eevees, normal type pokemon, and they could learn these surprising atypical moves. He should have anticipated his brother's strategy. But that move had its problems. Zeldris would not be able to use it again until he'd tried all the others and that gave him a chance.

"Dragon Dance," Meliodas whispered into Gyarados' ear. The beast gave him a look of disdain, it was hurt and wanted to sleep, but it reluctantly obeyed. It faltered as it rose up, its head flopping slightly to to one side with the effort as it began its unwilling battle dance. Zeldris stared at it as it squirmed, wondering how much more damage the huge beast could take.

Taking advantage of the lack of attack, Zeldris asked Umbreon to use Moonlight again, restoring her depleted health a little bit more. She was a long way from full strength, but she was more sprightly now, and she proved the point as she dodged Gyarados' Hydro Pump, jumping well to the side of the wave as it crashed towards her.

"Pursuit," Zeldris said with a smile and Umbreon's darkness washed over towards their opponents, hitting Gyarados once again. It stumbled back, floundering as it tried to stay upright before wilting slightly under Umbreon's glare. Meliodas sent out Hyper Beam, and this time Umbreon countered it, her Dark Pulse meeting the beam in the air. The two powers clashed forcefully together, white and purple sparks falling all around like fireworks as the moves broke apart on contact. Both pokémon fell back slightly with the effort to stare at each other from opposite sides of the ring once again. The match was drawing to its close. Neither protagonist could go on much longer.

"Hydro Pump!" Meliodas screamed as he went in for the kill, and once again Gyarados obeyed, but it was reluctant, the move shooting out much more slowly than it should. Zeldris stared. This was interesting. Had Meliodas not ensured himself of this beast's loyalty before he tried to use it? Umbreon gave Zeldris a look, taking the signals of his hands as her instructions. They had trained so hard, so fiercely, that they were now almost as one and she could follow Zeldris' unspoken commands.

Umbreon ran around the outside of the ring, followed by waves of water as Gyarados tried unsuccessfully to catch her until she was standing directly behind the beast. With a howl of triumph, she let forth Last Resort straight on to her opponent as it whirled round to catch her, water spewing in all directions as it twisted and squirmed.

The attack hit its mark and Gyarados sank to the ground, groaning loud as its enormous body hit the earth, the ring shaking with the force of the impact. Its pupils were gone, replaced with mere swirls of black, showing that it was well and truly out for the count.

"Gyarados, return," Meliodas said softly as the red mist fluttered over the pokémon's body, pulling it back into its pokéball. "You fought bravely," Meliodas murmured soothingly as the light of the ball went out, signalling Gyarados' safe encasement. "We'll train harder. You'll learn to trust me and we'll get them next time."

Umbreon leapt into Zeldris' arms, and he held her close as they shared the joy of their triumph. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a max potion which he spayed over Umbreon, the blue mist healing her wounds and restoring her health. He always took care of her before attending to the post-match pleasantries. Meliodas approached, his hand stretched out and Zeldris took it in a firm grip, trying hard to keep the smirk off his face. That would teach his elder brother to be so self-assured.

The three of them walked slowly back to the palace as the sun rose tentatively in the east, its golden rays lighting the lush vegetation of the demon realm. Umbreon walked close to her trainer, her body brushing against his legs as he reached down to ruffle the fur on her head. Zeldris smiled. Sometimes supreme power wasn't everything, even if his family prized it above all else. Trust, friendship and love separated the winners from losers he thought as he gave Umbreon a gentle scratch behind her black ears.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun shone warm, golden rays heating their backs and the skin on their arms. It had rained overnight and the world smelled fresh, everything practically bursting with colour. The sky was bright blue and the cobbled streets shone a little as they wove through the legs of the buyers and merchants, laughing as they dodged the citizens of Liones. It was a nice day at the very peak of midsummer, and Howzer and Gilthunder felt happy to be alive.

A shadow fell over them and Howzer looked up, the grin sliding from his face as he saw the Magical Research Building. It was so _huge_ , a towering structure that dominated the skyline. His father had said something about how you could tell who was in power from the height the buildings. First the guild headquarters had soared over the huts and cottages of Liones, then the churches had risen with enormous spires that dwarfed these buildings. Now it was the mage who scared almost everyone, her massive laboratory drawing the eyes of all who walked through the streets of the kingdom.

"I hear she does weird experiments in there." Howzer puffed up his chest, pleased for once to have intelligence to share with Gilthunder. As the lowly son of a struggling blacksmith, Howzer did not often get to know the court gossip which his friend seemed to come across almost constantly. But the previous day he had been… borrowing a bun from the kitchens and had overheard the cook discussing the mage with the butler. "She even has demon artefacts," he said with a whisper, glancing eagerly at Gilthunder to watch his reaction.

He found the other's unimpressed look extremely disappointing. "Of course she does," Gilthunder said with a shrug. "She's the mage. Lady Merlin has to carry out research into everything. She even has a collection of Pokémon…"

"She does?" Howzer interrupted, incredulously. "Wow! I bet she has some real rare ones. Do you think she has a Mew, or a Yvetal, or…"

"How do you know so much about Pokémon all of a sudden?" Gilthunder stopped in his tracks and it took Howzer a few seconds to also draw to a halt. He turned a little nervously to see his friend looking at him with an unnerving interest, piercing blue eyes peering into his own.

He decided to tell the truth. "I… have a team of Pokémon," Howzer admitted as his eyes dropped to the floor and he shuffled his feet on the stone path. "I've been collecting them for a few months now."

"No way! So have I!"

Howzer looked back up at Gilthunder in surprise. A soft wind was blowing, bringing with it the scent of rosemary and thyme and ruffling his friend's mop of magenta hair. The small boy continued, a gleeful grin on his face, "How about a match? I've got a new Pokémon I want to try out. Think you can take me on?"

Howzer swallowed hard. Truth be told he did not relish the prospect of a fight whatsoever. The fun of Pokémon was collecting and caring for them, finding the rare ones in the long, swishing grass and carefully catching them in red and white pokéballs. He did not enjoy seeing them fight. In fact, he only really used one of his partners, and that was so he could weaken the wild Pokémon he came across so that they could be caught more easily. But Gilthunder was looking at him so eagerly that Howzer felt he could not refuse.

"Um… sure. Why not?"

Gilthunder whooped for joy and grabbed Hozwer's arm, pulling him towards the gate in the city walls, jabbering nineteen to the dozen as they sped through the streets. "I love how they change when they get stronger," Gilthunder enthused. "I've been training my Helioptile for ages and I think it's about to evolve! And you wouldn't believe how cool my Dedenne is now. It just learned Volt Switch, which is such a great move! The one I'm going to show you today is just the _best_ …" Howzer bit his lip, hard. Evidently his friend had been really training his Pokémon hard.

Eventually the boys slipped through the gate, giving a cheery wave to the Holy Knights as they passed. They made their way towards the neighbouring fields, the chirp of birdsong and the rustling and buzzing of insects growing louder as they moved away from the city. The animals were joyous, celebrating the good weather and the abundance of food, but Howzer could feel his heart growing heavier which each step they took. Gilthunder was practically skipping as their feet left stone for dirt, kicking up dust with their shoes as they neared the clearing where Pokémon fights took place.

Panic gripped Howzer's chest. "Say, Gil?" he called to the boy who had hopped to the other end of the field and was detaching a pokéball from his belt. "I looks close to noon already. Maybe we should each fight with just one Pokémon, yeah? That way we can get back for lunch."

"Awww!" Howzer hardly dared breathe. Gilthunder sounded pretty disappointed. "I wanted to show you all of my party," the boy added with a bit of a pout. "But yeah, I guess you're right. And I wanted to train with Sir Meliodas this afternoon. He told me yesterday he's got a Rayquaza! I can't wait to see it! Well, alright. Here we go. Mareep, I choose you!" As Gilthunder spoke, the pokéball in his hand opened a crack, red mist rising from the depths to pool and swirl round his legs. Howzer watched as the vapour started to take shape, forming an animal with four, stumpy legs, a fluffy body and two pointed ears. The sheep stood squarely on the ground, looking at Howzer with daggers for eyes, blue flashes of lightning cracking over its pelt.

With difficulty, Howzer took a pokéball from his own belt, his fingers fumbling with the clasp. Sweat beaded his hands, impeding his movements and he cursed under his breath as he nearly dropped his prize. He snuck another quick look at the Mareep standing opposite and could see from its aggressive stance that it meant business. His own Pokémon did not stand a chance.

"Farfetch'd, I choose you." Once more red mist crept over the battlefield, crimson whorls swirling in the air. As his Pokémon materialised, shaking itself, chest puffed out with pride, Howzer heard a snort from the other side of the field. He looked up to see Gilthunder clutching his sides, face bright red as he attempted to stifle his laughter.

"What is that thing?" his friend cried as he broke out into fits of giggles. "What even… I mean… it's carrying a _leek!_ Is it telling us what to eat with it for dinner?"

Howzer felt his face flush red as the laughter continued, the blush pushing down into his neck. "Your Pokémon looks pretty stupid, too," he muttered angrily as the laughter continued.

At once, Gilthunder's face turned dark. "How could you?" he yelled as the Mareep's fur sparked angrily. "This beauty," he emphasised, his voice laced with hurt, "evolves into an Ampharos. An _Ampharos_ , Howzer," Gilthunder added as if he were talking to an imbecile. "It is one of the rarest and most powerful Pokémon in this part of the world. And this Mareep is going to show your bird what for! Why have you been bothering with that thing anyway?"

Howzer grit his teeth and did not respond. Farfetch'd was the most useful Pokémon he had. He had been overjoyed to find a TM, conveniently hiding in a log in the woods. The Technical Machine would teach a compatible partner to use False Swipe, the best move available for catching wild Pokémon. At the time, the only companion he had who could learn the technique was the Farfetch'd he had managed to trap down by the river. Once the duck had mastered this move, Howzer had used it and it only in every single fight, deploying False Swipe time after time. The move was perfect for catching as it ensured that he drained the health of the opposing Pokémon without causing them to fall into a faint. He had been so very pleased, his eye on the prize of completing his pokédex, but it was perhaps not the best strategy to prepare for trainer battles.

"Let's go. Mareep, use Electo Ball!" Gilthunder smiled as huge spheres of light flew from the sheep. The fast, golden orbs raced over the field, the static charge causing the hairs to stand on the back of Hozwer's neck. But he grinned broadly as Gilthunder yelled in surprise, biting back laughter as his friend's head jerked left and right, searching in vain for the odd-looking duck.

But of course it was nowhere to be seen. A moment later, a feathered bomb fell from the sky, dropping like a heavy stone. The Farfetch'd hurtled through the air, aiming straight for Mareep's head. Under his breath, Howzer had ordered it to use Fly, and it had immediately soared upwards, avoiding the sheep's electric attack. As the duck's palmate feet made contact, Mareep bleated in surprise, and it fell to the ground with a bump as its legs slipped from under it. Gilthunder practically roared, but then regained his composure as the sheep got hesitatingly back up onto its hooves.

"Are you okay?" Gilthunder asked softly, and his jaw set with determination as the sheep gave a defiant baa in return. "Great. Then use Thunderbolt." At once, sheets of electricity rolled across the field, zapping the Farfetch'd before it could dodge. The duck gave an indignant quack as the lightning hit, and Howzer squeaked, wincing as he smelled burning feathers.

"Farfetch'd!" the duck croaked. It waddled back towards Howzer, its eyes seeming to glow red. It was livid, furious, beyond peeved. The wild Pokémon round Liones were not a high level and the battles the duck had experienced did not usually leave much of a mark. It was clearly not happy with the current arrangement, and Howzer could practically taste its anger on the air.

"It's okay, I've got an idea," Howzer whispered and, grudgingly, the duck moved closer towards him. As Howzer explained, it nodded its head, then turned to face the Mareep once more. "Use Double Team," Howzer commanded and Farfetch'd quacked with joy as it duplicated itself. Soon there were dozens of birds on the field and Howzer felt his spirits rise. "Deal with that!" he yelled in triumph over the noise of the ducks, who were all quacking loudly as they swished their leeks back and forth. "You won't find the real one."

But Gilthunder did not look as if he had even broken a sweat. "We got this! Mareep, use Discharge!" Tens of little bolts shot from the Mareep's fluffy coat, each one aiming for a different duck. As the rays hit their targets, one by one the bodies of the false birds flickered then faded to nothing. The Mareep was relentless, sending flash after flash towards each of the clones until there were only a few Farfetch'd scattered across the field. With a baa of triumph, the Mareep sent another handful of bolts over the terrain, one smashing into Howzer's partner with an almighty crack. The duck screamed in pain, flapping its wings furiously and throwing its beak into the air and its leek unceremoniously onto the ground.

Howzer ran to his Farfetch'd at once. "I'm sorry," he murmured as he tried to stroke the duck's feathers. But his Pokémon was having none of it. With a huff, it tried to snap at Howzer's fingers, before stomping towards its end of the battlefield, its tufted tail shaking from side to side as it moved. "Farfetch'd," Howzer called desperately as his duck kept walking away, "come back! We have to finish this fight!" Howzer felt his heart sink as Farfetch'd ignored him, pointedly. He turned reluctantly back to Gilthunder, who stood with his back ramrod straight and his hand lightly resting on the Mareep at his side.

"The match is over," Gilthunder gloated as he looked over at the duck, which had its back turned to the rest of them and was clearly in a black sulk. "You know what your problem is?" the boy continued to explain. "Your Pokémon is too powerful for you. It's too high a level for a trainer who hasn't beaten any gym masters. If you want it to listen to you, you need to earn its respect."

"What do you know?" Howzer pressed his lips together, taking deep gulps of air to try and calm the sudden lump that rose in his throat. He loved Farfetch'd, really and truly. They had spent so many months together catching Pokémon, delving into tall grass and fishing in the river, and he had assumed the bird felt exactly the same. Now, he was faced with a painful alternate reality, one that he was totally unwilling to accept. "We're still in. Both of us," Howzer declared as he stared at Gilthunder with determined eyes.

Gilthunder hesitated, then took several paces across the field. "Howzer," he said gently, "are you sure about this. It's okay to give up, I promise I won't make fun of you," he added seriously.

"No! We're still in. Farfetch'd use False Swipe," Howzer yelled in the direction of the duck. The bird spun around, then stalked towards him and Howzer felt relief flood his senses and blood pound in his ears. His partner was going to listen to him after all.

Seeing the duck's movement, Gilthunder exclaimed, "Use Confuse Ray," as he ran back towards his Mareep. The sheep stood up on its hind legs and opened its mouth, just as the Farfetch'd sat in a heap on the ground, its leek lying on the floor beside it. "No stop!" Gilthunder screamed on seeing the bird's disobedience, but his command came too late. A stream of purple shot from the sheep's mouth, lighting up the surrounding grass with a mulberry haze as it headed straight towards Farfetch'd at a frightening pace.

Howzer acted without thought. Quick as a flash he dived between the pulse of power and the duck. The beam of light hit him square in the chest and Howzer staggered back, shaking his head as he tried to stay upright. The world was suddenly blurry and everything was wrong, the sky shining vermillion below him as he stumbled on magenta cloud.

"You're not allowed to do that!" Howzer heard the voice through a bank of fog, and he strained to understand the meaning of the words. "You're not allowed to take hits for your Pokémon!" the whiny voice continued, but Howzer found he did not care what it was saying. He stood up on shaky legs, tilting his head up to the sky as familiar objects floated down towards him.

"Cakes!" Howzer jumped up and down trying to catch the confections which dropped like rain through the sweet-smelling air. "There's strawberry! My favourite," Howzer said enthusiastically, his mouth watering as he spied piles of cream and fruit. Farfetch'd liked cream, too... This last thought brought Howzer back to himself a little. "You're wrong about Farfetch'd," he slurred through his daze. "It's an amazing Pokémon and I love it and it's the best partner ever so there!"

As Howzer stumbled over the ground, his tongue lolling slightly and his eyes glazed, the Farfetch'd heard his defiant words. Slowly, carefully, the bird got to its feet, dusting itself off and retrieving its leek, tucking the prized vegetable under its arm. It waddled towards its master, purpose in every step, until it was close enough to peck at the boy. Then it launched itself into the air, landing a hard hit on Howzer's head with the green end of its leek.

Howzer groaned, cradling his head in his hands as the world righted itself. He felt dizzy, sick and shocked, as if he had been doused in cold water. A quack of "Farfetch'd!" brought him back to his senses. He looked down as his vision stabilised to see his partner standing before him, its beak apparently curved in a smile.

"You want to fight?" Howzer asked and the duck quacked in response, waving its leek in the air to show its agreement. Howzer looked over to Gilthunder, whose head was cocked to one side, and grinned to see his friend's answering nod. "Okay then!" he exclaimed. "Then would you use False Swipe, please?" he asked the duck, which flapped its wings and rushed straight towards the Mareep.

The sheep gave a bleat as the duck's blow landed, and it wobbled unsteadily on its feat for several seconds. When it had steadied itself, the sheep pawed at the dirt and sent out the energy of Thunderbolt in response to Gilthunder's command.

"Dodge it!" Howzer yelled, and he felt his heart sing with joy as his Farfetch'd listened to him without demure. The bird rose into the air, weaving easily through the streaks of power as the lightning tried to catch it, effectively evading the Mareep's attack. "You're awesome!" Howzer called and the bird nodded in response, saluting the boy with its leek as it flew past its master, not even one feather out of place.

"Now hit it with Fury Attack," Howzer commanded. Instantly the bird rounded on the sheep, smacking its leek over and over into the Mareep's body. Of the five blows it landed, two hit with incredible force. "Critical hit!" Howzer yelled as the duck let forth a quack. The Mareep staggered, then fell, it's legs sprawling under it as its eyes were replaced with swirls of black. The sheep was out cold, and unable to fight. Gilthunder murmured softly as his Pokémon returned to its ball. Against all the oods, Farfetch'd had won the match.

"You did really well, both of you."

Howzer straightened up from where he had been kneeling so as to spray Farfetch'd with a hyper potion. Gilthunder held out his hand, a happy smile on his face, but Howzer hesitated. As if reading his mind, Gilthunder continued, "It doesn't matter that you took the Confuse Ray, I think you won fair and square. And you're right, Farfetch'd is amazing. I'm sorry I was rude. The match is yours." Gilthunder stretched out his hand a bit more, and this time Howzer took it, the pair moving their arms up and down in celebration of their friendship.

"You were right too, I need to respect my Pokémon," Howzer said as the boys walked back to the city, Farfetch'd marching along at their heels. "I'm going to train and battle and win them over." The bird squarked at this and tapped Howzer's leg with its leek, and the pair exchanged glances, understanding passing between them.

"Then come and battle Sir Meliodas with me," Gilthunder urged excitedly. "We'll get stronger together." With a whoop, the two boys ran back to the city, Farfetch'd flying behind them as they chattered and laughed.


End file.
